Prions Are Infectious Proteins Within Cells That Cause Normal Proteins

Essay

Prions are infectious proteins within cells that cause normal proteins to misfold and clump together. Prions can occur as a result of a mutation or ingestion, e.g., Mad Cow disease (eating infectious beef from an animal with the disease). Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie are prion diseases in both animals and humans. The diseases are progressive, have no cure, and end in death. Using your chemistry knowledge, explain the devastating effects of these diseases.